"There is one hen that goes up into the hay," said Farmer Brown. "I
think she lays her eggs there. But I cannot find them."
"Let us go up into the hay to look for them," said Polly.
So the children hunted. The barn was not very cold. Still it was not so
nice as in the summer time.
At last Polly nearly tumbled over something. It was the brown hen. She
flew away with a loud cackle. Then Polly saw four eggs lying in the hay.
"I've found them, I've found them!" she shouted. She gave Peter two and
took two herself. Then they went down to show Mr. Brown.
"You have sharp eyes," he said.
"I used to think I could see better if I had spectacles," said Polly. "I
used to think that I should have four eyes then."
"I am going to feed the horses now," said Mr. Brown. "You may come."
While Mr. Brown did this, Peter and Polly looked carefully at each
horse. They were hunting for one that they knew.
It was the old brown mare. They had ridden horseback on her last summer.
That was when they went with John to hunt for the turtle's eggs.
"There she is, I think," said Polly.
"Are you looking for John's mare? Yes, that is the one," said Farmer
Brown. "You will not need her to ride any more. I hear you have a pony
of your own."
Then the children told him about their pony. They told him about the
Christmas tree.
"Ho, ho!" laughed Farmer Brown. "Who ever heard of a pony on a Christmas
tree?"
"But think of a pony in a letter box," said Polly. And Farmer Brown
laughed still more.
How warm the cow stable was! Polly said, "How can it be so warm? There
is no stove."
"The cows themselves make it warm," said Mr. Brown. "See, here is one
just the color of a deer. Isn't she pretty?"
"I guess the deer would be glad, if they had such a nice, warm house,"
said Polly.
"Yes, the winter is hard for them. It is cold, and food is not easy to
find. There are two that sometimes come to our barnyard. I give them
grain and hay and salt."
"I wish I could see a deer to-day," said Polly. "Let us go to the
barnyard and look."
"We will feed the sheep now, Polly. You can watch for one while I am
doing that."
When the sheep were fed, it was dinner time. After dinner Mrs. Brown let
the children play on the piazza.
All at once Peter said, "See the pretty cow coming down from the woods.
Whose is she? Perhaps she is lost."
"Where, Peter?" asked Polly.
"Coming across the field. Now it is right there near the fence."
"Oh, oh!" cried Polly. "That isn't a cow. I think it is a deer. See its
horns."
She called to Mr. Brown. Just as he came out of the house, the deer
reached the fence. He walked quite close to it. Then he jumped over it.
"A pretty jump," said Mr. Brown. "The fence is more than four feet high.
That is a fine stag. A stag is a father deer, you know."
The stag walked across the road. He jumped another high fence. Then he
went off up the railroad track.
"Oh," said Polly, "I wish I could jump like that. He didn't run at all."
"It was a pretty sight," said Mr. Brown. "I am sorry the old fellow did
not stop for dinner. I am afraid he will have nothing better than bark
and twigs, now."
"It wasn't a cow, was it?" asked Peter.
"Cows can't jump like that, Peter. Though perhaps one did. I have heard
of a cow that jumped over the moon. Have you?"
"Yes, I have. But I know she didn't really. Oh, here is father. We will
tell him about my pretty cow."